[Video] Schoolboy Q Performs Everywhere In Support of "Oxymoron"

If you haven't heard already, the second wave of TDE just crested and is currently flooding the country with smooth, introspective new-age west coast gangsta rap, courtesy of the bucket-hatted Schoolboy Q. As casual as one can be stepping into the bright lights at the top of the rap world, Q has handled it gracefully thus far, and has been on a marathon pace of performing as of late. The 27-year-old father made recent stops on Conan, where he performed "Studio" with BJ The Chicago Kid, at Arsenio Hall where he killed "Man of the Year" and then, the other night, in a parking lot outside a Hooters from the top of a tour bus with Mac Miller he did "Yay Yay" at a pop-up concert across the street from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. All that on top of the release of Oxymoron isn't bad for a week's work. The live backing band is on point in both late night show performances and the energy at the pop-up show is just an inkling of the power hold TDE has over the genre of hip-hop today. Schoolboy Q hits the Wilbur Theatre in Boston, MA on March 2 to kick off the "Oxymoron World Tour". Check out the videos below.

"Man of the Year" on Arsenio Hall

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"Studio" on Conan

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"Yay Yay" in a Hooters parking lot with Mac Miller

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[Album Stream] Schoolboy Q: "Oxymoron"

All the hype has finally led to this: the highly-anticipated and talked about major debut for Schoolboy Q. With the release of his album, Oxymoron, tomorrow, Q follows a tough act from fellow TDE-signee Kendrick Lamar who set the bar with 2012's Good Kid, m.A.A.d City. It's also the first substantial release we've had from him since 2011's lauded Habits & Contradictions. In the lead-up to the release, the L.A. native also dropped a visual for he song "Break The Bank" which features his four-year-old daughter Joy, who also helped him announce the release dates late last year. The soulful, piano-infused track sets the tone for that should prove to be one of the better hip-hop releases to reach the public in recent memory. Kendrick Lamar took over the rap game with his proper debut, it will be interesting to see if the public connects with Schoolboy Q the same way. Pick up the full project and listen to it streaming via iTunes

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Schoolboy Q and Vic Mensa

[Video] Scoolboy Q, Vic Mensa & Vado on 'RapFix Live'

Wednesday might as well have been "Come Up Day" over at the MTV RapFix studios in New York City. I say that because Sway, wearing a SaveMoney sweatshirt nonetheless, found himself flanked by two of the most aggressively progressive artists in hip-hop today in Vic Mensa and Schoolboy Q who were also joined by Cam'ron protege, Vado. The four men chopped it up between the couches with Sway, touching on what's come, what's gone and what's on the horizon. Schoolboy Q, whose album, Oxymoron is about ready to explode from anticipation leading up to the February 25 release date, showed up looking like he stole a page out of Pharrell's style book with a full brimmed hat capping off an ensemble that included a full-length grey trench coat and pink 'TDE' sweatshirt. Anything goes I guess when you're the 'Hood Pope'. Vic joined Schoolboy on the couch, rocking a matching sweatshirt to Sway's and giving the pink 'TDE' piece a run for its...money? Anyway, check out the full episode, streaming below courtesy of MTV.

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Pharrell and Nelly performing live at the 2014 NBA All-Star Game

[Video] Pharrell, Kendrick Lamar & More Perform at 2014 NBA All Star Game

Ever since Michael Jordan retired and the new breed of superstar was established in the NBA (a la Allen Iverson, Dwight Howard), the NBA All-Star game has been much more performance than true sporting event since Tracy McGrady threw himself an alley-oop off the backboard in-game, and this weekend's jam-packed 2014 edition was no less light on the entertainment. Held in New Orleans, the 63rd installment of the annual competition of the league's brightest stars saw performances from the likes of Pharrell, who showed up with both his infamous hat, and former Neptunes/N.E.R.D. partner Chad Hugo in tow, performing a slew of his hits on both the production and singing tips. He did the classic, decade-old song, "Frontin", brought out Nelly for "Hot in Herre", did the hook on Jay Z's "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It to Me)", although Mr. Carter wasn't in attendance, and brought out Busta Rhymes and Diddy for a fresh version of "Pass the Courvoisier Part II". He aldo did "Blurred Lines" for which Robin Thicke was also a no-show and followed it with the cult classic, "Rock Star" with his Hugo, who played the keytar flawlessly. Pharrell finally finished, playing "Beautiful" with Snoop Dogg and, following the Western Conference introductions, did an interpretation of "Get Lucky", again, without Daft Punk, and during "Happy", he popped on the big hat. Kendrick looked as intense as ever, performing "m.A.A.d City" and "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" in an understated black hooded sweatshirt. Janelle Monae continued to prove why she is a favorite for performances like these, tapping none other than Trombone Shorty, Gary Clark Jr., Doctor John and Earth Wind & Fire for a memorable performance that included a rendition of her song, "Electric Lady", before joining Earth, Wind and Fire for "Shining Star". All in all, there was plenty to make up for the mediocre basketball. Watch it all below.

Pharrell:

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Kendrick Lamar

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Janelle Monae & Trombone Shorty

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Pitchfork Music Festival Logo

Pitchfork Music Festival Announces 2014 Headliners

The 2014 Pitchfork Music Festival will be July 18 through July 20 and is already on the top of my list for summer music festivals to attend. Pitchfork announces their headlining acts for this year including: Beck, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Kendrick Lamar, as well as the first round of acts for the festival. Pitchfork music festival is known for being one of the most selective festivals around, choosing the most intriguing and innovative emerging artists as well as long time musical legends.

Regular three-day passes are currently on sale for $130 and regular single day passes are available for $60. Don't miss your chance to experience the entire weekend, three-day passes go fast!

Grab tickets here and check out all of the artists named so far for this years' festival below!

Friday

Beck

Giorgio Moroder

Sun Kil Moon

Factory Floor

Death Grips

Haxan Cloak

Sharon Van Etten

Saturday

Neutral Milk Hotel

TuneYards

Mas Ysa

Pusha T

The Range

Ka

Circulatory System

The Julie Ruin

Wild Beasts

Sunday

Kendrick Lamar

Grimes

Slowdive

DIIV


[Mixtape] Isaiah Rashad: "Cilvia"

Among one of the most talked about young artists in the game right now, TDE's latest signee, Isaiah Rashad, offered up his latest project, Cilvia today with a free stream on Spotify. The project comes as the hip-hop world anxiously awaits label-mate Schoolboy Q's upcoming Oxymoron project, and closely follows a disappointing Grammy Awards for TDE flagship artist Kendrick Lamar. Cilvia, which hit the net today, is the first full project we've heard from Rashad since joining the TDE imprint and continues to showcase the immense talent that the collective has been able to garner and develop over the past few years en route to being one of the premier labels in the game. The project has a healthy dose of fellow recent TDE appointee SZA, as well as a rousing performance from Chicago-bred newcomer Jean Deaux, who has quietly been establishing herself on the west coast. Jay Rock and Schoolboy also hop on the ride out track, "Shot You Down". With Ab-Soul also preparing his full-length, expect TDE to continue its hip-hop reign, on every level of the rap spectrum. Cilvia, streaming below.


Big Boi by Virgil Solis

[Songs Of The Day] 1/27/14 (Feat. Big Boi, Blood Orange, Imagine Dragons and more)

With the Grammys come and gone and it is with Macklemore as the new-minted golden boy of hip-hop that we bring you a bevy of music that followed the perennially-disappointing award show  on the Internet and beyond today as the race began for the next batch of gold gramophones.

Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons got things started at the actual show as they debuted the remix to "Radioactive" which they performed together last night. Big Boi stoked the flames of the already incendiary talks of his and Andre 3000's reunion after being on hiatus since the 2006 film Idlewild as a mash-up of Big Boi, Phantogram and Sade dropped, titled "CPU 2.0". British producer Blood Orange's "On The Line" received a remix from Star Slinger and we have the latest from a pair of up and coming Chicago artists as Joel Quentez offers up his talented "Moment of Truth" while Sterling Hayes and THEMpeople make up for a super collaboration on "Monae". Check out all the latest to hit the 'net streaming here below.

 

Big Boi "CPU 2.0" Feat. Phantogram & Sade (Mash-Up)

 

Blood Orange "On The Line" (Star Slinger Remix)

 

Joel Quentaz "Moment of Truth"

 

Imagine Dragons "Radioactive" Feat. Kendrick Lamar (Remix)

 

Sterling Hayes "Monae" (Prod by THEMpeople)


Grading The 2014 Grammy Winners

Pharrell Williams, Daft Punk, Nile Rodgers

So, back in December, around the time the Grammy nominations were officially announced, I wrote a post titled "Grading The Grammys" where I gave my two cents on what I thought of the nominees, who I thought should win and who I thought actually would win. The music industry equivalent to filling out an NCAA tournament bracket in March, I watched yesterday as my picks were scuttled fairly quickly. Using the mentality that it is better to recognize many rather than few and spread an award rather than smother one artist with them, my choices for Grammy winners was a bit different from what actually went down last night in LA. Read on to see who I thought would win, who actually did and how that makes me feel, here below.

Record of The Year

Nominees:

- "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams

- "Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons

- "Royals" - Lorde

- "Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars

- "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell

Actual Winner: "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams

My Prediction: “Royals” – Lorde

Breakdown: I read somewhere in the lead up to this year's Grammys that the award show could very quickly devolve into a sort of Lifetime Achievement Award for Daft Punk, who did have arguably the song of the year in "Get Lucky" which seemed to be on an endless loop throughout the Summer. "Royals" certainly had its own run, but looking back it was somewhat ridiculous to think she could overtake Daft Punk.